High-throughput sorting of eggs for synchronization of C. elegans in a microfluidic spiral chip

Lab Chip. 2018 Feb 13;18(4):679-687. doi: 10.1039/c7lc00998d.

Abstract

In this study, we report the use of a high-throughput microfluidic spiral chip to screen out eggs from a mixed age nematode population, which can subsequently be cultured to a desired developmental stage. For the sorting of a mixture containing three different developmental stages, eggs, L1 and L4, we utilized a microfluidic spiral chip with a trapezoidal channel to obtain a sorting efficiency of above 97% and a sample purity (SP) of above 80% for eggs at different flow rates up to 10 mL min-1. The result demonstrated a cost-effective, simple, and highly efficient method for synchronizing C. elegans at a high throughput (∼4200 organisms per min at 6 mL min-1), while eliminating challenges such as clogging and non-reusability of membrane-based filtration. Due to its simplicity, our method can be easily adopted in the C. elegans research community.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / isolation & purification*
  • Eggs / microbiology*
  • High-Throughput Screening Assays*
  • Lab-On-A-Chip Devices*
  • Microfluidic Analytical Techniques*